Cosmetics applicators whose applicator elements consist of a core element of a first material and a bristle element of a second material which envelops the core element at least partially are already known.
For example, the patent application EP 1 752 063 describes a cosmetics applicator with a core element of a first plastic, which is referred to therein as a basic body, onto which a tubular bristle body of a second plastic is pulled. In this patent application, the tubular bristle body and the core element are manufactured separately. Subsequently, the tubular bristle body is pulled onto the core element like a stocking and fixed thereon by positive fit by an end cap being provided which reaches over the distal end of the tubular bristle body, thus retaining it on the basic body. In addition, the bristle body is latched onto the basic body by comprising a groove into which a corresponding projection of the basic body engages.
This separate manufacture of the two elements, which makes a subsequent assembly step inevitable, is very expensive.
The international patent application WO 02/056726 describes a cosmetics applicator with a core element which is referred to therein as a “stiffening core”. This core element has a massive cross section. This core element is surrounded by a carrier sleeve of a different plastic. In this case, this cosmetics applicator is manufactured in such a way that the carrier sleeve is injection-molded in a thin layer onto the outer surface of the massive core element with the purpose of the carrier sleeve and the core element being welded or at least glued together during the injection molding process. However, this welding or gluing process occurs to a sufficient extent only if the plastic material of the carrier sleeve and the plastic material of the core element are matched to one another. Obviously, this problem has also not escaped the attention of the author of the international patent application. Therefore, it is proposed, inter alia, to provide the core element with a number of blind holes extending with their longitudinal axis in the radial direction, into which the still-liquid plastic molding compound of the carrier sleeve is supposed to enter to a locally limited extent in order to ensure a better purchase of the carrier sleeve on the core element. However, this workaround measure works only to a limited extent or, in any case, entails drawbacks. If only small blind holes are provided that do not weaken the core element substantially, there is the danger of the blind holes, which are not vented, are insufficiently filled by the melt and thus do not perform their intended function properly. In contrast, larger blind holes, which were not proposed by WO 02/056726 in the first place, would lead to the core element being weakened considerably. Moreover, this structure can be produced only with difficulties. In particular if the applicator element has a not inconsiderable extent in the longitudinal direction, it may prove difficult to press sufficiently molten plastic molding compound quickly enough into all of the bristle-forming cavities of the mold, which are of course very thin.
In light of this, it is an object of the invention to propose a cosmetics applicator whose applicator element is formed from two parts, i.e. that it consists of a core element and a bristle element subsequently injection-molded onto the core element, with the core element and the bristle element being reliably interconnected by injection molding independent of the materials selected for them.